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Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Your Life Depends On It!

In recent years, I succumbed to a series of health
issues which were not only affecting my daily activities, but were placing my
future health in serious jeopardy. Having enjoyed a pretty robust lifestyle and
blessed with mostly good health, it came as a huge shock to find out that my
health had deteriorated to such

a degree that I couldn’t work, or enjoy the
simple things in life. It all came to a serious conclusion with multiple visits
to the doctor, surgeon and diabetes clinic.

We never really appreciate good health until it is
threatened or taken away.

I have always prided myself on being well educated
and versed on the benefits of eating healthily and well. So to be warned of the
pending outcome, was like a bolt of lightning.
I don’t smoke, drink or do drugs, yet here I was popping 19 tablets a
day, unable to walk more than ten minutes without having to lay down, or sit. I
took this challenge poorly at first but came to realise that it was I that had
to make a stand.

At the beginning of 2014, I had extremely high blood sugar;
H1C’s abnormally high, High blood pressure,

regular use of inhaler to combat
angina and respiratory issues, unable to sleep or do a day’s work without pain
medication due to a prolapsed vertebrae. I had been on a careful diet for over a year and had already lost 15 kg (35 lb). Of course all these conditions place pressure on ones state of mind and
spiritual wellbeing.

The diabetes nurse was so amazed that she
rang me at home to say, “we are so used to progressing patients medication,
that Its so amazing to see the control you have taken and the results
achieved.” She also said my profile was now the same as hers and shes never had diabetes!

The results have been so effective that I have reduced medication
steadily and has mostly stopped.

So what has changed?

Well, firstly I have to acknowledge my
faith in a God that heals. Secondly, taking personal responsibility to play my
part in what foods I eat. And finally taking the time required in doing the
research, (thus educating myself in the appropriate diet and lifestyle).

Here are the critical factors I discovered:

1.The predominance of processed foods is engineered
to sell produce (and added value) as a food source, not necessarily foods which
are best for our health and well-being.

2.Gluten and sugars are products used
to bulk out and extend shelf life and occur in more products than are good for
us. Many are hidden and addictive

3.Excessive Carbohydrates can induce diabetes,
increased weight and the storage of fat in the body. Reduced carbohydrate cause
the metabolism to burn fat, assisting weight loss, and developing a healthier
BMI.
Harvard School of Public Health

In my extensive research I discovered some great journalism
and some quite insidious revelations regarding the food manufacturing industry.
The men who made us fat
I also discovered the long term effects
that genetically modified foods will have on us the consumer, but above
all, I have shaken off the symptoms of
ill health that resulted in my ignorant (yet trusting nature) of my food
consumption.

One must keep in mind that as with the tobacco industry,
alcohol industry (and now the food processing industry), expecting an unbiased,
honest and transparent stance, is somewhat like asking a vampire to guard the
blood bank. There is a vested interest
to ensure that they can continue in business as long as it is possible.

Until
the “tipping point” is reached, don’t expect manufacturers, food processor, pharmaceutical
body, or politicians to support their own demise. I highly recommend that you read Fat
Chance: The bitter truth about sugar by Dr. Robert Lustig.

One of the factors that concern me greatly is the lack of
regulatory muscle that most governments are prepared to use to protect out
health. Pharmaceutical companies have to go through a pretty rigorous process
before selling their products on the open market. The food industry does not,
yet more people are affected by the daily consumption of processed foods, than
by medicines, which by and large are dispensed by a health care professional. I
believe we are far too trusting of food manufacturers, processors, and governments,
in taking the appropriate measures to ensure we are not slowly killing
ourselves by simply trusting (and eating) the food on our shelves.

I haven’t at this point raised my wholehearted objection to
the insidious strategy that GM will have on us all. From full control of who owns
the seed, what seed is available and grown, what chemicals are used on them and
whose water is monopolized in the production, cropping, storage and what
network they are sold!

There is sufficient evidence to warn us that the future
prosperity and security of Nations will not be based on the minerals in the
soil, but the arable land, water supply and food it can produce. The word "kingdom" takes its root from two words. King and Dom! A king is the one who rules, and
Dom is the old English word for earth, soil, land. The kingdom is all about who
rules over the earth. If we give up our sovereignty and the ability to choose
what we grow, we lose our ability to sustain life.

Having taken considerable time in research, soul searching
and prayer, I literally took back control and personal responsibility for:

·The foods I buy and from where

·What and when I eat

·What pharmaceuticals I allow in my body

·Who I listen to about my health and whose information
I trust

Here is the action that I took:

1.If a food has been modified, processed, or
enhanced, I don’t buy it or eat it.

2.If the food label has anything written on it (other
than the product you are buying), leave it.

6.Follow paleo recipes, lifestyle and blogs to
ensure I am kept aware of new products

7. Eat more frequently, smaller but healthier foods
and as little cooking time as is safe

“He that has an experience is never at the mercy of he who
has an argument”.

Or to use the old biblical passage, “Once I was blind, but
now I see” John 9:25

Diabetes and the western world are at epidemic proportions. We
have trusted too long the manufacturers and big corporates which ply us with
foods detrimental to our health. We trust them and have done for oh so
long. It wasn't that long ago that “fat”
was the demon in our food products, but research is showing the effects ofsugar are far more harmful to our bodies than fat, which the body can regulate if eaten appropriately and proportionately. We trust the marketing gurus (who are
employed by corporate bodies) who in turn, sway government policies by using political
lobbyists.

I believe we are likely (in the years ahead) to see food
manufacturers forced to place warning labels on the food they sell, just like
the tobacco companies are today. We are far too trusting of our food
manufacturers; after all, one only needs to study the history of tobacco,
sugar, alcohol and the slave trades, to see how far corporates are prepared to
go in the pursuit of profit.

The Game on TV is sponsored by the betting agency who
legitimizes their product by ending with “and please remember to gamble
responsibly”, yet homes, families, careers and lives are wrecked by the ravages
of gambling. The alcohol and tobacco adverts are prohibited on the player’s
kit, but it appears in all other mediums, and advertisers work hard to present
a wholesome image to its consumers. Sugared drinks are promoted as being the
stuff of athletes, energy bursts and hip colours that look cool on television
in the hand of a sporting icon. Truth is, they are killing us…over time.

The tipping point –

When the cost to the government for medical care, is greater
than the revenue to the government from the food industry, we will see policy
changes, for sure! Until then, we need to educate ourselves into taking
personal responsibility for the foods we consume.

Coaching 4 Life Blog

About Me

I enjoy bringing the best out of people and being a part of a global family. I operate Coaching 4 Life ltd and travel as an itinerant Pastor and support worker in most aspects of leadership development.
I have traveled extensively to speak @ conferences, congregations, leadership seminars, businesses and coaching clinics. Most recently, my focus has been in the education sector, providing quality control, workplace assessment, academic and curriculum development.

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Hi, and welcome to "I've Been Thinking".

My intention with this blog, is not to deluge the "blogasphere" with meaningless chatter, or even to gain accolade among my peers. It is a place where I can collate the myriad of thoughts and musings I have floating around my mind. To those of you who are reading, I hope it in some way spurs you on to at least think.

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